The Battle for Novorussiya

[Lauren Johnson]

A riot? A revolt? Some of both?

Here is a lot of info, videos, tweets, etc from Konstantinovka from Col Cassad in English:

http://cassad-eng.livejournal.com/143059.html

[Paul Rigby]

[video=youtube_share;7Z88oOOh1Io]http://youtu.be/7Z88oOOh1Io[/video]

[Lauren Johnson]

Ukraine starting to split up? A coup? Kolomoysky controls the supply of all Ukr oil. Do the math.

3/22/2015

Kolomoysky's militants seize Ukrnafta office in Kiev

By J.Hawk

Several news reports indicate that the headquarters of Ukrnafta, the country's largest oil extraction company, was taken over by Dnepr-1 battalion militants financed by Kolomoysky. This move comes after a similar take-over on Thursday of Ukrtransnafta, an oil transit company. What makes the most recent event all the more galling is that the HQ of the state-owned Ukrnafta is located in the center of Kiev. Kolomoysky is only a minority shareholder in the enterprise. However, he was able to exercise de-facto control under rules which required 60% of shareholders' approval for any reform to be implemented, until the Rada passed a bill which lowered that requirement to 50% + 1 share, which de-facto and de-jure returned control of Ukrnafta to the Ukrainian government. Kolomoysky evidently decided to challenge that ruling by reportedly barricading himself inside the building and using Dnepr-1 battalion to deny access. Some of the militants were seen carrying automatic weapons and were supported by an armored truck. Most recent reports indicated Dnepr-1 was welding steel barriers in place to secure the building, and that pro-Maidan Rada Deputy and journalist Mustafa Nayyim was beaten by Dnepr-1 militants when he questioned them.

Just to make things more interesting, Kolomoysky called for recognizing DPR and LPR as the de-facto authorities in Eastern Ukraine, in an apparent bid to prevent a two-front war against both Kiev and Novorossia. At the same time, Kolomoysky called for "financial federalization" of Ukraine, under which 90% of tax revenue would never leave the regions.

"Nationally conscious" Ukrainians don't quite know what to make of all this yet--Kolomoysky was a hero to them, and here he is, turning his power to bear against the Ukrainian state.

Of course, all of this took place on Sunday. On Monday Poroshenko will have to decide what to do in response to Kolomoysky's very busy day. Let's not forget that in the Thursday showdown he was the first to blink, allowing Kolomoysky to retain control of Ukrtransnafta and only issuing a reprimand in response to his armed take-over of Ukrtransnafta. Moreover, just recentlyUS Ambassador to Ukraine Jeffrey Pyatt lectured Kolomoysky on the unacceptability of "jungle law" approaches to political problems (funny how that was not a problem during the Maidan, eh?), a warning which Kolomoysky clearly ignored.

In the meantime, the junta is pretending nothing at all has happened. Minister of Interior Avakov insisted the folks in camouflage were part of a private security service hired by Ukrnafta, even though Ukrnafta representatives themselves were first to announce the gunmen were Dnepr-1. Incidentally, it's unlikely a private security firm would be allowed to tote Kalashnikovs.

Moreover, if this is not Dnepr-1 or some other Kolomoysky-funded organization, why is Kolomoysky himself clearly on the scene? Last seen having the above-mentioned Mustafa Nayyem (a staunch critic of Kolomoysky and a Maidan die-hard) taken away by a car?

Will Poroshenko back down again? Will Kolomoysky? Or will there be bloodshed in Kiev?And elsewhere?

[Lauren Johnson]

How far this goes, only time will tell. One report on the always reliable Twitter is the government will launch an assault on Ukransnafta:

Ukrainian politician and former Dnepropetrovsk businessman Oleg Tsarev says that the political and economic conflict between the country's oligarchs may turn into outright street warfare and a new Maidan.

© SPUTNIK/ MIKHAIL MARKIV

[COLOR=#000000 !important]Kiev's Sopranos: Oligarchs at War Over Control of Major Oil Company

Commenting on the recent scuffle between oligarchs over Ukraine's oil transport company Ukrtransnafta, former Ukrainian parliamentarian Oleg Tsarev warned that the skirmishes involving corporate raids, hostile takeovers and the siphoning of state wealth may soon turn into a battle of bullets and bombs in the streets of Kiev.In his article, published Saturday on his blog for independent broadcaster Echo Moskvy, Tsarev stated that "the conflict between Poroshenko and Kolomoisky is ready to turn into open warfare." In Tsarev's view, "Kolomoisky is capable of burying the latest American project in the same way as occurred earlier in the conflict between Poroshenko and Tymoshenko. Except this time, considering the current situation, this war may not be limited to mudslinging, and may well turn into an armed confrontation."
According to Tsarev, "the two sides are ready for such a scenario, which is why today there are special forces in the center of Kiev, and the territorial battalions Kiev-1 and Kiev-2 have been activated. We also know that Ministry of Interior forces are ready to head to Dnepropetrovsk. Igor Kolomoisky has brought his own Dnipro battalions to combat readiness. They now consist of up to fifteen thousand fighters, and a few days ago Kolomoisky ordered them to triple their number."

Discussing the conflict over Ukrtransnafta, Tsarev noted that "control over the company is of extreme importance to Kolomoisky not only because he has become used to treating these government structures as his own personal property, but also because a change of the company management would have unquestionably resulted in questions about the multitude of abuses committed by people loyal to him." Tsarev estimated that the damage done by Kolomoisky against Ukrtransnafta alone may amount to up to $2 billion, including up to a billion dollars in damages caused by improper use of the pipelines.

© REUTERS/ VALENTYN OGIRENKO/FILES

[COLOR=#000000 !important]Poroshenko Reproaches Ukrainian Oligarch Ihor Kolomoiskyi
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"The nighttime capture of the Ukrtransnafta office was aimed not just at attempting to preserve the ability to steal state resources, but also an attempt to cover up evidence of the crime. It is believed that on the night of the raid, several trucks-worth of documents were taken from the building," Tsarev noted. The politician emphasized that "this will make investigation into the criminal negligence and outright theft much more difficult."Tsarev believes that Kolomoisky's personal involvement in the affair, including travel to Ukrtransnafta's headquarters, is unusual, and that he "could have been forced to participate in this special operation personally only out of dire need the threat of criminal charges, the threat of arrest against him and his businesses."

Tsarev notes that the compromise said to have been reached Friday, where it was determined that Poroshenko's man would ultimately take up his post, would mean either that a real investigation "will not occur, or that it will be carried out by foreign auditing companies" at such a pace that the results of their investigation will become moot by the time they reach their conclusions. "Does it mean that Kolomoisky, Yatsenyuk and Poroshenko have agreed to share in the robbery of the country together? Time will tell. But one thing is for certain: the country is rapidly sinking into impoverishment. In order the preserve their capital, oligarchs and the Kiev government will face only more conflicts [over time]."

© SPUTNIK/ MIKHAIL PALINCHAK

[COLOR=#000000 !important]New 'Ukraine Tomorrow' TV Channel Promises to Defeat Russia Today
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In this connection, "the United States will have to openly, publically intervene into the management of the country. The US ambassador to Ukraine has already openly noted that he was involved in the resolution of the [Ukrtransnafta] conflict, with MP Sergei Leshchenko saying that the order to change the company's management came from Washington."
Oleg Tsarev, a former MP in Ukraine's Rada from the Dnepropetrovsk region, was forced to leave the office and withdraw his candidacy for president last year following numerous threats against him and his family. In April, 2014 Tsarev was beaten by a mob after a television interview in Kiev. Withdrawing his candidacy in late April, Tsarev called on anti-Maidan politicians to boycott the elections, which he felt could not take place in conditions of civil war following an unconstitutional coup. Tsarev was stripped of his parliamentary immunity in June, 2014, and has since become a wanted man on the territory of Kiev-controlled Ukraine. He presently serves as the Speaker of the Unity Parliament of the self-proclaimed Novorossiya Confederation of the Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics.

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Read more: http://sputniknews.com/europe/20150322/1...z3VEsnsHWb

[Magda Hassan]

Quite extraordinary really. It was the same way they took over parliament too.

[Lauren Johnson]

Quite extraordinary really. It was the same way they took over parliament too.

Kolo thugs are reported to have abandoned Odessa and are heading to Dnepr, his power base. The way it seems to me, the regular army, is set to start up against DLNPR, and now they have a potential rear guard threat behind them. ::popcorn::

[Lauren Johnson]

Somehow, I would have to think this thing will be made to go away. Maybe Uncle Sam spreads a little of the green stuff around. But this is Ukraine.

March 23, 2015
Translated by Kristina Rus

The conflict between the authorities and Kolomoisky can derail the entire economy of Ukraine. This opinion was expressed by the head of the Kiev Center for Political Studies and Conflictology, Mikhail Pogrebinsky in an interview to "Kharkov News Agency".

According to the analyst, Kolomoisky has already shown his power to the authorities, and he really has something to back it up.

"The oligarch owns "PrivatBank" - the largest private bank in Ukraine. And the collapse of such a giant can bury the entire banking system of the country. Kolomoisky also has great assets in the oil industry, which brings him the largest profit. In addition, Kolomoisky controls not only Dnepropetrovsk region, of which he is a governor, but also has influence on the situation in the Odessa and Zaporozhye region. So you cannot fight with him, you have to negotiate with him. Otherwise, this war could bury the entire economy of the country", - says the analyst.

According to Pogrebinsky, in resolving the conflict, much will depend on the U.S. Ambassador. Meanwhile, according to the analyst, Jeffrey Payett failed to influence Kolomoisky to the extent that was expected in Kiev. The scandal around "Ukrtransnafta" quieted down, but is not over.

Earlier, the analyst suggested that if the President decides to refuse the services of Kolomoisky, it can lead to the formation of another self-proclaimed Republic in Ukraine.


"I can argue with anyone that Kolomoisky is not going anywhere, and then battalions of Kolomoisky can create a third People's Republic," - Pogrebinsky said at a press conference, commenting on the creation of a parallel general staff [by Dmitry Yarosh] in Dnepropetrovsk.

To the question of "Kharkov NA", if the likelihood of such a scenario increased today, the analyst explained that he spoke of such an option hypothetically, and in reality he hopes, this will not happen.

"But much in this conflict depends on the actions of the U.S. Ambassador", - he stressed.

Last week, the Parliament amended the law on joint stock companies, resulting in Kolomoisky loosing control of Ukrnafta. In addition, his protege Aleksandr Lazorko was dismissed from his position as the head of the company. The oligarch "showed his teeth" and took over the office of the company with his "private army". The President of Ukraine reprimanded the Governor of Dnepropetrovsk, but not for the armed seizure, but for being rude to the journalist of "Radio Liberty" (Svoboda). In response Kolomoisky blocked the accounts of Poroshenko for 50 million dollars in his "PrivatBank".

[David Guyatt]

Joe Biden's son, Hunter, was appointed to the board of Burisma, Ukraine's largest private gas firm. Corruption is so blatant they don;t even try to really conceal it these days...

From The Consortium

Ukraine's Oligarchs Turn on Each Other

March 24, 2015

Exclusive: Ukraine's post-coup regime is facing what looks like a falling-out among thieves as oligarch-warlord Igor Kolomoisky, who was given his own province to rule, brought his armed men to Kiev to fight for control of the state-owned energy company, further complicating the State Department's propaganda efforts, reports Robert Parry.
By Robert Parry
In the never-never land of how the mainstream U.S. press covers the Ukraine crisis, the appointment last year of thuggish oligarch Igor Kolomoisky to govern one of the country's eastern provinces was pitched as a democratic "reform" because he was supposedly too rich to bribe, without noting that his wealth had come from plundering the country's economy.
In other words, the new U.S.-backed "democratic" regime, after overthrowing democratically elected President Viktor Yanukovych because he was "corrupt," was rewarding one of Ukraine's top thieves by letting him lord over his own province, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, with the help of his personal army.

Ukrainian oligarch Igor Kolomoisky confronting journalists after he led an armed team in a raid at the government-owned energy company in Kiev on March 19, 2015. (Screen shot from YouTube)

Last year, Kolomoisky's brutal militias, which include neo-Nazi brigades, were praised for their fierce fighting against ethnic Russians from the east who were resisting the removal of their president. But now Kolomoisky, whose financial empire is crumbling as Ukraine's economy founders, has turned his hired guns against the Ukrainian government led by another oligarch, President Petro Poroshenko.
On Thursday night, Kolomoisky and his armed men went to Kiev after the government tried to wrest control of the state-owned energy company UkrTransNafta from one of his associates. Kolomoisky and his men raided the company offices to seize and apparently destroy records. As he left the building, he cursed out journalists who had arrived to ask what was going on. He ranted about "Russian saboteurs."
It was a revealing display of how the corrupt Ukrainian political-economic system works and the nature of the "reformers" whom the U.S. State Department has pushed into positions of power. According to BusinessInsider, the Kiev government tried to smooth Kolomoisky's ruffled feathers by announcing "that the new company chairman [at UkrTransNafta] would not be carrying out any investigations of its finances."
Yet, it remained unclear whether Kolomoisky would be satisfied with what amounts to an offer to let any past thievery go unpunished. But if this promised amnesty wasn't enough, Kolomoisky appeared ready to use his private army to discourage any accountability.
On Monday, Valentyn Nalyvaychenko, chief of the State Security Service, accused Dnipropetrovsk officials of financing armed gangs and threatening investigators, Bloomberg News reported, while noting that Ukraine has sunk to 142nd place out of 175 countries in Transparency International's Corruptions Perception Index, the worst in Europe.
The see-no-evil approach to how the current Ukrainian authorities do business relates as well to Ukraine's new Finance Minister Natalie Jaresko, who appears to have enriched herself at the expense of a $150 million U.S.-taxpayer-financed investment fund for Ukraine.
Jaresko, a former U.S. diplomat who received overnight Ukrainian citizenship in December to become Finance Minister, had been in charge of the Western NIS Enterprise Fund (WNISEF), which became the center of insider-dealing and conflicts of interest, although the U.S. Agency for International Development showed little desire to examine the ethical problems even after Jaresko's ex-husband tried to blow the whistle. [See Consortiumnews.com's "Ukraine Finance Minister's American Values.'"]
Passing Out the Billions
Jaresko will be in charge of dispensing the $17.5 billion that the International Monetary Fund is allocating to Ukraine, along with billions of dollars more expected from U.S. and European governments.
Regarding Kolomoisky's claim about "Russian saboteurs," the government said that was not the case, explaining that the clash resulted from the parliament's vote last week to reduce Kolomoisky's authority to run the company from his position as a minority owner. As part of the shakeup, Kolomoisky's protégé Oleksandr Lazorko was fired as chairman, but he refused to leave and barricaded himself in his office, setting the stage for Kolomoisky's arrival with armed men.
On Tuesday, the New York Times reported on the dispute but also flashed back to its earlier propagandistic praise of the 52-year-old oligarch, recalling that "Mr. Kolomoisky was one of several oligarchs, considered too rich to bribe, who were appointed to leadership positions in a bid to stabilize Ukraine."
Kolomoisky also is believed to have purchased influence inside the U.S. government through his behind-the-scenes manipulation of Ukraine's largest private gas firm, Burisma Holdings. Last year, the shadowy Cyprus-based company appointed Vice President Joe Biden's son, Hunter Biden, to its board of directors. Burisma also lined up well-connected lobbyists, some with ties to Secretary of State John Kerry, including Kerry's former Senate chief of staff David Leiter, according to lobbying disclosures.
As Time magazine reported, "Leiter's involvement in the firm rounds out a power-packed team of politically-connected Americans that also includes a second new board member, Devon Archer, a Democratic bundler and former adviser to John Kerry's 2004 presidential campaign. Both Archer and Hunter Biden have worked as business partners with Kerry's son-in-law, Christopher Heinz, the founding partner of Rosemont Capital, a private-equity company."
According to investigative journalism in Ukraine, the ownership of Burisma has been traced to Privat Bank, which is controlled by Kolomoisky.
So, it appears that Ukraine's oligarchs who continue to wield enormous power inside the corrupt country are now circling each other over what's left of the economic spoils and positioning themselves for a share of the international bailouts to come.
As for "democratic reform," only in the upside-down world of the State Department's Orwellian "information war" against Russia over Ukraine would imposing a corrupt and brutal oligarch like Kolomoisky as the unelected governor of a defenseless population be considered a positive.

[Lauren Johnson]

Poro made Kolo an offer he couldn't refuse. All the talk of Ukraine breaking up into pieces, so far, appears to be just that. Col. Cassad called it. The US has too many tools to ensure their guy stays in power. I have no idea what will be the ultimate fate of Kolo.

Also in the news, Odessa will soon swept clean of terrorists, as the Russian speaking population will get extra attention.

[Lauren Johnson]

Col Cassad on the significance of Kolomoisky's take down (machine translation)

1. Care Kolomoiskiy as governor of Dnipropetrovsk region will mean a reconfiguration of political and economic fields in South-Eastern Ukraine. In place of the main zhYdobanderovtsu is Reznichenko man out of the cage Poroshenko, who earlier in the feeding has been given to Zaporizhia region. Some mistakenly believed that the cause of the conflict in energy assets, but first and foremost, is to establish political control over areas of the South-East, which previously unchallenged rules Kolomoysky.Starting an open attack on the mini-empire Kolomoisky, the junta centralizes power, eliminating the main parallel center of political and military solutions. All this got permission from Washington, and that led to a quick capitulation Kolomoiskiy. This whole story shows how may vary by clicking the Ukrainian domestic political situation and how far from simple Ukrainian definition of their own destiny, and how even the ghouls from the leadership of the junta over her no control.

2. Some mistakenly believe that there is a certain Kolomoiskiy cunning plan, that he is now gone, and then as a pop up like jump ... In fact. anywhere he did not jump, after his resignation and the resignation of Korban (he now also gone), Kolomoisky lost the opportunities he gave incorporation into the state apparatus. If the earlier governors, which he set in the South-East went to pay homage to Dnepropetrovsk to Kolomoisky, now they will go to pay homage to Kiev to Poroshenko. In the birthplace of the former owner of the Southeast sits protege chief of staff Poroshenko, Mace in Odessa before retirement Kolomoiskiy hurried away visiting gangsters from the city, but that did not prevent the city from the next showdown. Against this background, address Kolomoiskiy sounded very specific threats, a much more significant than the pathetic attempts to collect signatures for the resignation Nalivaychenko or threaten Maidan. Actually the essence of these threats is simple - Kolomoysky abandoning political power must renounce power, surrendering to obey him and punitive perezamknut them on centralized structures of the SBU and the MVD. Gangster nature of these groups will not change, but they should not submit Kolomoisky and Avakov, Nalivaychenko Poroshenko. Accordingly, in the case of the implementation of this scheme (and I think it will be implemented), Kolomoisky will be just the rich and powerful man, but deprived of the opportunity to oppose Poroshenko in line with force policy.

3. Whether to leave Kolomoisky "his delight" in state assets will depend on the conditions under which lies the surrender. Possible that the Kolomoiskiy can maintain control over the "Ukrnafta" in exchange for the transfer of complaisance and punitive without noise and dust to other owners. Although given the peculiarities of Ukrainian politics, Kolomoiskiy rather try to tear completely, remembering him all his previous sins, the benefit of the enemies of the Ukraine Kolomoysky amassed a lot. The group itself "Private" probably unlikely to be falling apart, because it is fraught with the fall of the already weakened "Privat-Bank", but its impact is likely to limit as much as possible, trying to make Kolomoiskiy just "another oligarch no complaints." Of course, where Kolomoysky can be resisted, in order to prevent the complete collapse of his empire, but it will be exactly what arergarndye fights when the main battle has already been lost.

4. This story obviously strengthen the power of Poroshenko, but on a limited scale, since Avakov, Yatsenyuk and Nalivaychenko are currently only situational allies in the fight against Poroshenko Kolomoiskiy and that their presence is ensured not influence very Poroshenko, and "good will" of Washington, made a clear bet on Poroshenko and Kolomoisky hinted that we should not argue with the real owners of Ukraine. Hence the absence of rebellion, Maidan and trips to Kiev, as this would mean a direct action against Washington that it would be fun, given the fact that the assets Kolomoiskiy are in the West. Kolomoysky course moron, but not that much. So it's easier to give up part than to lose everything. Whereupon at all high-profile threats to Kiev today Kolomoysky and Korban casually handed power.

5. Strengthening the central government in Kiev will mean that the control processes in the South East will rise and there instead of willful Kolomoisky and his henchmen, will sit on the whole obedient Gauleiters conducting basic line of the Kiev junta. Just part of the guaranteed gray business of trafficking across the front line, will depart to the new owners of areas (this is especially true of semi-legal and illegal trading schemes coal). Punitive battalions will be forced to reassign a centralized structure - or the Ministry of Interior or the Security Service ("pravoseki" is likely to remain under Nalivaychenko, Yarosh of course no one now to the General Staff is not empty) with over operational command of the real sector. It should also be expected to reduce pressure on the General Staff and Muzhenko, information attack which sponsored Kolomoysky. In addition, after the fall of Kolomoiskiy, will begin the traditional flow of his former comrades in the camp of the victors. Of course, Kolomoysky if not completely destroyed, save a part of political influence in the form of purchased deputies in Parliament, but it will be more common lobby group, rather than a tool of struggle for power. For Novorossia drop Kolomoiskiy and centralization of command of the destroyer battalions would mean that no longer will write off going to the machinations of war Kolomoisky and "uncontrolled battalions." For all is now responsible "partner Peter." On the other hand, centralization of management in Ukraine is likely to serve the purposes of internal mobilization of the junta in the face of the next phase of the war. For Novorossia in fact, little has changed, as before its future will depend on the outcome of a military confrontation with the APU. Kolomoiskiy pity for us? Obviously not. On a par with Turchinov and Poroshenko, Kolomoysky is one of the most mess blood tucked junta, which has done much to civil war followed the bloodiest scenario. Fierce war is largely a consequence it Kolomoiskiy activities that led to the Odessa Katyn, after which all the bridges were already burned. In principle, I do not lose hope that sooner or later justice will overtake Kolomoisky, as well as other leaders of the coup that ended the civil war.